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Notice to Providers of Upcoming Rate Reductions

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities greatly appreciates the services our providers deliver to persons with disabilities. Each day, providers make a difference in the lives of many individuals with disabilities. Your work is very important. In these tough economic times, it is even more important. But these economic times also require changes in our program. One of the changes is a legislatively mandated rate reduction for providers.

This is to provide you advance notice of the expected July 1, 2008 rate reductions to fulfill the Legislature’s requirement.

Proviso language included in the 2008 General Appropriations directs the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to reduce provider rates by $43,544,549 effective July 1, 2008. No reasonable rate reduction for any single provider group can generate the savings required. Consequently, APD proposes to distribute the rate reductions across most services. The reductions are below.

• Rates for Waiver Support Coordination and CDC Consultants; Residential Habilitation Standard and Behavior Focus; and Intensive Behavioral Residential Habilitation will be reduced by 3 percent.



• Rates for all other waiver services for which APD sets rates or there are rate schedules established by rule will be reduced by 7.21 percent. Personal Care Assistance (PCA) services are not included because the Legislature exempted them from the reduction and set the rate for PCA services separately. Rates for providers of commodities or market driven services such as Consumable Medical, Durable Medical Supplies, Adult Dental, and Environmental Adaptations, etc., will continue to be individually determined at the time of purchase.



• The revised rate tables for waiver services are posted on the APD web site at http://apd.myflorida.com along with other related APD information.

Deciding how to fulfill the Legislature's mandate was a difficult task. The Agency considered many options and factors. The Agency also held a meeting of providers and provider representatives to receive suggestions and information. The Agency appreciated and considered the provider comments carefully.

The agency understands that these legislatively mandated rate reductions have an effect on you and your business. Your local APD Area Office and its employees are ready to assist you in any way possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any suggestions to improve services and lower costs.